Northbound bike lane on Dexter will be closed 8 days starting Monday

Just in from WSDOT: The state will close the northbound bike lane on Dexter at Harrison Street for eight days starting Monday morning. The crunch is so the state can relocate utilities for the Highway 99 tunnel (that may or may not ever be completed).

Details from WSDOT:

To make room for SR 99 tunnel construction, crews are currently relocating utilities along Dexter Avenue North, and Harrison and Republican streets. As part of this work, a temporary closure of the northbound bicycle lane at Harrison Street is necessary.

o The northbound bicycle lane on Dexter Avenue North will be closed for about one block at Harrison Street. Bicyclists will need to merge with vehicle traffic in this area.

Maintaining safety for all modes of transportation is WSDOT’s top priority. Please contact us via email (viaduct@wsdot.wa.gov) or call our hotline (1-888-AWV-LINE) if you have questions, concerns or suggestions.

4 Responses to Northbound bike lane on Dexter will be closed 8 days starting Monday

“Bicyclists will need to merge with vehicle traffic in this area… Maintaining safety for all modes of transportation is WSDOT’s top priority. ”

Do you think they actually write that with a straight face?

In the past when I’ve gone past this section of construction on Dexter I’ve had to suddenly merge into the car lane after the abrupt realization that the construction workers had moved those large orange traffic barrels into dead center of the bike lane. I’m riding along all happy then suddenly there’s a barrel right in my way.

I have had the same experience of a traffic barrel blocking the bike lane, a bike lane that ends with no warning, a contractor that parks right next to the bike lane, then blocks it with his door when he gets out of the truck (Jeff Johnson). It is also a challenge to avoid getting hit by a car turning right from S bound Dexter onto W bound Mercer when I want to go straight on S bound Dexter. I would rather see no bike lane, a big sign saying “Bikes Merge with Motor Vehicles” (as bikes are already vehicle traffic), and a 15 MPH speed limit through the construction zone that is enforced.

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